BHUBANESWAR: A sudden thunderstorm swept through the capital city on Friday morning, uprooting trees and throwing life out of gear in multiple localities.
Strong winds, accompanied by heavy rain and lightning, at around 9.30 am uprooted trees in several areas.
Residents of the New AG Colony in Laxmi Sagar had a narrow escape as a large tree fell in the storm. Trees were also uprooted in Nayapalli and Gajapati Nagar localities of the city, causing a road blockade for hours. The strong winds also snapped electric wires, leading to a power outage in the affected areas for a brief period.
Caught unaware by the sudden spell, office-goers and commuters were seen taking shelter under overbridges at Rasulgarh, Jayadev Vihar and Raj Mahal square.
The norwester rain also affected parts of Cuttack and its adjoining areas, where several trees were uprooted, disrupting road communication.
Fire Services officials, who swung into immediate action, said at least 15 emergency teams were deployed in Bhubaneswar for road clearance and electricity restoration. The restoration efforts were carried out under the supervision of senior officials. Similar tree-cutting and road clearance operations were also undertaken in the area Cuttack and adjoining Athagarh, they said.
Met officials said thunderstorms and lightning with surface wind speeds reaching upto 50 kmph were recorded in parts of Khurda, Cuttack and Puri districts in the morning. They said light to moderate rain and thundershower activities are likely to continue in parts of Odisha, especially in the southern districts till April 21.